‘Ziggy’ Creator Tom Wilson Dead at 80

For 35 years, Wilson was also the creative director of American Greetings. Ziggy, a bald, featureless man who lived with a menagerie of pets and would fall victim to one misfortune after another, was first introduced to the public in 1969 as part of a collection that was published by American Greetings.

Two years later, ‘Ziggy’ became a syndicated comic strip and has been featured daily in newspapers ever since. Wilson’s son, Tom Wilson Jr., took over the day-to-day operation of the comic strip in 1987.

“We are saddened at the passing of Tom Wilson, a visionary cartoonist and longtime friend,” said John McMeel, chairman and president of Andrews McMeel Universal, which publishes ‘Ziggy.’ “Tom leaves behind a wonderful legacy in ‘Ziggy,’ a hard-luck comics page hero who serves as a reflection of Tom’s endearing wit and optimism in the face of adversity.”